ITM Editorial, November 2023
School libraries
Imagine an international school without a school library. It’s expected. It’s assumed and it’s possibly taken for granted. Whatever the size of the school or the student profile, there will be a library. And there will be a school librarian.
As I have been finding out over the last year in a variety of networking sessions, international school librarians arrive at their posts in different ways. Some are specialists with a degree or professional diploma in librarianship. Others are teachers ‘filling in’ but who love it so much they stay. If they are able to, they get the funding to retrain. Others are volunteers from the parent body or the local community.
They are all likely to have several things in common: a love of books, a sense that libraries are ‘special places’ and a desire to share their passion with others. They all need our support, as the demands on their time are huge. Whatever their background, librarians are expected to be teachers, administrators, counsellors, IT geeks, babysitters, community leaders and storytellers. They are a breed apart and without them a school will just not have a soul.
And the library itself? It will be a hub, both ‘buzzy’ and quiet, packed with students, adults and families – reading, researching, listening, taking five or volunteering.
This month, ITM celebrates international school libraries, their librarians and reading with articles by Mary Rose Grieve, Sal Flint, Rob George and Helen Mulligan.
Whether you are a librarian, teacher, leader, student or parent, our message is clear: support your school library!
And if you are a member of a school library team, why not join Rob and Sal in their first networking and training webinar on November 23rd when they will be looking at library literacy and organising author visits …
Sign up for the Webinar on November 23rd here:
FEATURE IMAGE: by tatyana_tomsickova on iStock
Support Image: by Angelina Yan on Unsplash
